Why are Americans finally excited about the World Cup? In the Wall Street Journal, Landon Jones credits suburban moms.

Often maligned and ridiculed, the suburban Soccer Moms have been the real foot-soldiers—and gas-pedal pushers—who have carried and car-pooled the youth movement in soccer that has finally come to fruition in 2014. Thanks to them, millions of Americans no longer need to be briefed on the nuances of the offside rule or about the meaning of stoppage time.

So, please, stop mocking all of us parents sitting on lawn chairs on the sidelines. We changed America.

About the blogger

Stephanie Curtis has produced events, daily news shows, documentaries, conferences and call-ins for MPR News. She also was among the pioneering producers who launched The Current. You can hear her discuss movies every Thursday on The Cube Critics.